Top 5 Best Games to Look Forward to in July 2018

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker (Nintendo Switch – July 13)

Best Games to Look Forward to in July 2018

The Nintendo Switch has received a healthy amount of first-party support within its first 18 months on the market, with Legend of Zelda, Mario, Mario Kart, and plenty more having made their way in one form or another to the system. Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker is the latest first-party title to hit the Nintendo Switch that follows the Wii U porting trend Nintendo has found itself in, with Hyrule Warriors, Mario Kart 8 and Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze having already received the same treatment already.

Treasure Tracker will have players navigating the beloved mushroom-headed member of the Mushroom Kingdom around levels filled with puzzles and jewels to collect. It may not be action-packed, but it’s the perfect kind of bite-sized puzzle fun that’s perfect for playing on the Switch when you’re on the move. Plus, the Switch version even has new Super Mario Odyssey levels included, so what more could you ask for really?

Octopath Traveler (Nintendo Switch – July 13)

Best Games to Look Forward to in July 2018

If you’re looking for something a little meatier to sink your teeth into on your Nintendo Switch in July, then Octopath Traveler is the title you’ll likely want to grab instead on July 13. In this classic-looking RPG from Square Enix, players will choose from one of eight unique protagonists to start with as they embark on their story. Each of the protagonists has their own abilities and weapon types that you’ll need to use carefully if you’re going to overcome all of the obstacles on your journey.

With its stylish pixel sprite visual style, beautiful soundtrack, and tactical turn-based combat, Octopath Traveler is looking set to be a true hark back to the golden era of JRPGs, and we cannot wait to sink our teeth in. If you’re unsure on whether it’ll be your kind of jam, be sure to check out the demo that’s available now on the eShop.

Sonic Mania Plus (PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch – July 17)

Best Games to Look Forward to in July 2018

Sonic is one of those video game mascots who will forever be iconic, no matter how poor his games got in the last few years. Fortunately, last year’s Sonic Mania was a triumphant return to form for the blue ball, which also saw SEGA opt for the 2D visual style and super speedy platforming action that fans have been seemingly begging for for years on end at this point. Despite us falling in love with Sonic Mania last year, SEGA didn’t feel like it was quite enough, and so Sonic Mania Plus aims to offer up the definitive edition when it releases later this month.

On top of the base game, Sonic Mania Plus makes a few changes to the existing Competition and Time Attack modes, with four-players now being supported in the previously two-player mode, and ghosts now being made visible for when you’re taking on time attack challenges. In terms of brand-new content, Sonic Mania Plus adds in two rather unusual characters in the form of Mighty the Armadillo and Ray the Flying Squirrel, each of which have their very own unique abilities. Finally, there’s a new Encore mode which will apparently “provide new challenges, layouts, and visual changes” to a number of classic zones.

If you’re a massive Sonic fan, you kind of owe it to yourself to check this out. And if you didn’t get a chance to see what all the fuss was about with Sonic Mania, well you clearly were just waiting for this definitive edition… right?

The Banner Saga 3 (PS4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, PC – July 24)

Best Games to Look Forward to in July 2018

The Banner Saga series has been praised for its charming visual style, challenging tactical combat, and decisions that’ll have you contemplating whether you made the right call long after you’ve pressed the button to seal your fate. Well, turns out that there’s just one final chapter we need to wrap up the saga, and we’ll get it later this month in the form of The Banner Saga 3.

Not only will we get to take on more challenging combat scenarios and soak up the stunning visual style, but there are also a number of new unit classes and enemy types to keep things fresh. You’ll meet over 40 different characters, and all of the decisions you made in the previous two games will also be taken into account during this adventure. As such, we do recommend checking the first two games out before diving into this one to get the most out of it.

Best Games to Look Forward to in July 2018

Mega Man is by far one of the most punishing video game series that you can come across right now, largely thanks to its blend of pixel-precision platforming and challenging boss battles. Well, considering its been over 30 years since the first game released, it only seems right that the Legacy Collections should make their way to the current generation of consoles complete with features to keep both newcomers and hardened veterans alike happy.

In both Legacy Collection 1 and 2, newcomers can benefit from a rewind feature allowing them to slip a few seconds back in time to try and avoid that tragic death or to land the finishing blow on that boss without having to start over. Veterans, on the other hand, will be more interested in the X Challenge Mode, which will pit you against two different bosses at once to see just how quick and precise your platforming skills are. Top it all off with an in-game museum filled with old Mega Man trailers, art, and more, and you’ve got the perfect set for any Mega Man fan.

Oh, and if you’re wondering why we’ve got both Mega Man Legacy Collection 1 and 2 on here, the first one has Mega Man 1-6, while the latter has 7-10.